Fact Check: Did Trump thank Elon Musk for making every Republican vote count as three?
WASHINGTON, DC: Ahead of the November 2026 midterm election, which the Republicans are projected to lose, an allegation began circulating on social media platforms claiming that President Donald Trump thanked Elon Musk for making every Republican vote count as three. The claim has sparked concerns and speculation about its authenticity, calling for a fact-check.
Claim: Trump thanked Elon Musk for making every Republican vote count as three
The claim surfaced as a screenshot claiming to show a post by Trump on his official Truth Social handle.
The alleged post read, “Republicans must WIN the 2026 Midterm Elections, and we must use every appropriate tool Whether you vote early, absentee, by mail, or in-person, we must "swamp" the Radical Left Dumods with massive turhout!"
"THANKS TO THE GREAT ELON MUSK EVERY REPUBLICAN VOTE COUNTS AS 3 VOTES! SO IMPORTANT-PLEASE GET OUT AND VOTE, AND MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President Donald J. Trump.”
The screenshot has been shared widely, garnering millions of views and sparking criticism and concerns about possible election rigging ahead of the November election, suggesting many believe the post is authentic.
Meanwhile, a few others dismissed it as fake and called for a fact check.
Fact Check: Donald Trump made no such post
The screenshot, however, is fake, as no such post exists on any of Trump’s social media handles.
A search of his official Truth Social account and Commentary X accounts that archive all his posts found no relevant post matching the text in the screenshot.
However, the fake post resembles Trump’s original post, which states, “Republicans must WIN the 2026 Midterm Elections, and we must use every appropriate tool Whether you vote early, absentee, by mail, or in- person, we must 'swamp' the Radical Left Dumocrats with massive turnout! SO IMPORTANT PLEASE GET OUT AND VOTE."
"MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Donald Trump urges voters to pretend he's on the ballot
In a News 9 interview that was aired on Friday, October 2, Trump acknowledged the midterms pattern, saying, “Typically, a president, Republican or Democrat, doesn’t win the midterms. We’re going to try and change that around.”
He tied the effort to his legislative agenda, saying Republicans had delivered “the largest tax cuts in history” and accusing Democrats of seeking “the biggest increase in taxes in the history of our country.”
“What I’m asking people to do is get out and vote, pretend I’m on the ticket,” Trump said at the Durant event, urging Oklahoma voters to act as though he would appear on the ballot.
“When I’m on the ticket, everybody votes. We do great,” he added.
